From June 3, 2025, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam will exhibit a truly unusual object: a rare condom dating from the 1830s. Probably made from a sheep intestinal tract, this nearly two-hundred-year-old contraceptive is made all the more striking by an erotic depiction directly on its surface: a nun portrayed in a sexually allusive scene with three churchmen. The nun sits with spread legs in front of the clergymen and points to one of the three as they lift their robes, putting their arousal on display. The depiction is accompanied by the inscription “Voilà mon choix” (“This is my choice”), in a parody of the Judgment of Paris and, at the same time, a satirical provocation against religious celibacy.
This is a very rare object: only two surviving copies are known, and there is speculation that it may be a souvenir from a brothel. The object was purchased at auction by the Rijksprentenkabinet six months ago, thanks to support from the FG Waller Fund, and opens a window on sexuality and prostitution in the 19th century.
The Rijksmuseum has decided to highlight it in a temporary exhibition set up in the Hall of 19th-century Prints, which can be visited until the end of November, along with drawings, photographs and prints on the subject of prostitution and sexuality. The object also tells the story of how erotic desire in the 19th century coexisted with the fear of sexually transmitted diseases, syphilis in particular, and unwanted pregnancies. It thus represents both the playful and the serious side of sexual health.
The Rijksprentenkabinet’s collection, which now also includes the rare condom, includes some 750,000 prints, drawings and photographs. In addition to works on paper, prints on other materials are also collected.
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| The Rijksmuseum exhibits a rare 1800s condom with erotic printing. Perhaps a souvenir from a brothel |
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